Barack Obama Just Made One Deadhead Very Grateful

The president has pardoned 111 nonviolent inmates this week

By Reuben Brody

Share This

It was 1992 when Timothy Tyler sold his friend some weed and some LSD while in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show. That friend turned out to be an informant, and Tyler was arrested on the spot.

In 1994, he was sentenced to life in jail for a victimless crime.

Today, though, Tyler's fortunes are looking up. His 25-year stint is nearly over thanks to a pardon from President Barack Obama. The Presidented pardoned 111 people this week, most of whom were nonviolent drug offenders.

"Dead" shows have long been the stuff of legend, spawning one of America’s most iconic music subcultures, and President Obama has publicly praised the band in the past. As memorable as the concerts, though, are the wild parties that attend them — parties that often turned nightmarish, as was the case for Tyler. His family had been petitioning for his release for years, and now he will complete his sentence at a residential drug treatment facility until August 30, 2018.

Related note:

Spotify just added a live recording of the Grateful Dead at Red Rocks to their library, and we’d like to send it out to Timothy Tyler, along with our good wishes.